Average-speed-recording means for railway trains



May 3, 1927.

T. R, MILLS,

lld March 19 192 Fl @il lll fill

Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES THOMAS R. MILLS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRIGT OF COLUMBIA.

AVERAGESPEEDeRECORDING MEANS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS.

Application filed March 19, 1926.

Over certain specilicd lengths of trackage, particularly through yards, trains are sup posed to proceed at or under a predeten mined speed, and when this speed is eX ceeded, serious accidents very etten occur and it is an impossibility to determine even from eye witnesses, the speed which the train was making at the time of the acci dent. It is one object of my invention however, to provide a novel speed recording means which will, with eXtreme accuracy, record the average speed in miles per hour, of all trains moving over a shortlcngth of t ackage or block, with which the invention is used.

In the operation of electrical signalling systems, it is customary to make use of signal controlling` relays, which relays are controlled by track circuits, these circuits being so affected by entrance of a train into a block and departure :troni such block, as to cause functioning of the relays to actuate the usual signals. A further object of my invention is to provide speed recording means which may be accurately controlled by switches which are in turn controlled by the usual signal controlling` relays, thus insuring that the cost of installing the invention shall be as small as possible.

lllhile the recording means is preferably controlled by track circuits and relays, it may in some instances be controlled otherwise, 'l'or instance, by the well known boxes which function under the vibration of the track rails, to control an. electrical circuit or circuits, or by other instruments.

In the accompanying drawing which diagrammatically illustrates one form of the invention Fig. l is a diagram showing the normal position oli a marker which is employed in connection with a recording surface, and this view illustrates the invention ot a nature rto be controlled by signal-actuating relays oi? a block signalling system.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation oi the driven support for the recording surface, the surface marker, and associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. l but illustrating a different form of recording surface, the latter being upon a tape in this figure, whereas it is upon a disk, in Fig. l.

In Fig. l, the numeral l designates a recording surface which is preferably in the torni of a paper disk. This surface is di- Serial No. 96,011.

vided by both time of day lines 5 and speed per mile lines G, the former being radially disposed while the latter are in concentric relation.

The numeral 7 designates a pen or other marker for the surface 4;, said marker being normally disposed at or near the innermost of the speed per mile lines 6, as shown in Fig. l. Connected with this marker in any desired manner, is electro-magnetic means 'which functions to normally hold said marker at the position above mentioned, and also serves to return it to said position, after it has been moved therefrom. Jalso connected to the marker 7 in any desired manner, I have shown operating` means 9 of a nature to move the marker 7 across the miles per hour lines G, as soon as the el cetro-magnetic means 8 is released, and said operating means 9 is of such nature that it will move the marker at a predetermined, uniform rate of speed, toward the lowest speed line, as .long as a predetermined portion ot a train is upon a selected hlock (A-B) of a, railway It. As soon as said predetermined portion of the train however runs lrom the block A-B into the block B-C, provision is made for again energizing the electromagnetic means 8, so that the marker 7 is immediately returned to its initial position,

and the maximum movements of this marker in either direction, may be controlled by appropriate stops.

In the construction herein disclosed, the marker 7 is mounted on a rod l0 which is slidable in a pair ot guides ll, and the electro-magnetic means 8 includes a solenoid coil l2 and a core 13, the latter being secured to the rod l0. The operating means 9 for the marker 7, in the iresent showing, includes a chain lll or its equivalent, connected to the end ot' the rod l() remote from the core 13, said chain passing over a wheel l5 and being provided with a weight I6, which weight-is supported as long as the electromagnetic means S .is energized, but is released when said inea-ns Yis le-energized so that the weight will then descend by gravity. Any desired governing means, such as a clock mechanism 17 maybe associated. with the wheel l5 so as to insure that the weight 1G shall descend only at the predetermined and uniform speed which is to be imparted to the marker 7.

While in some instances, the means 8 might be relied upon to both return the 'Ill marker T to its initial position and to ele vate the Weight 16 to its normal position and hold these parts 7 and 16, I prefer to provide additional means such as a motor, a solenoid, or the like, which acts to raise the Weight 1G and hold it, so that the means S need notperform this double Jfunction. In the present disclosure, a solenoid core 18 is shoivn connected with the Weight 16 and surrounded vhy a solenoid coil 19, and this coil and the coil 12 are in the saine circuit. An adequateA circuit ha heen illustrated hut any other desired circuit could ot course be used. ln connection With this circuit, 2O designates a source ot current supply ot any desired form. Leading Ytrom this source, is a ivire 21 which is connected yith one end ot the coil 12 and vvith one end ot the coil 19. Another wire 22 is shown connected with the other ends ot these tivo coils and leads to a stationary contact 23 ivhich is normally engaged hy a siritch 2st, this switch beingconneeted by a Wire 25 with the source 20. By this or equivalent Wiring, the svfitch 2i heing normally closed, the circuit tor the coils 12 and 19 is complete, so that they hold the marker T and the Weight 1G at initial position, as shoivn in Fig. 1.

n the present showing, the switch 24 is held normally closed by a relay 2G having a switch .JT which is (2o-operable with a contact 28 lor controlling` an ordinary block signal. The circuit of the relay 26 is a traelr circuit formed in part hy` the rails of hloclt A-B and in part by a track battery 29, and as this circuit is normally closed, the svvitch will remain closed. As soon as the front Wheels ot a train however, enter the hlocl AB, proceedingl toward the block B--C, said front Wheels and the axle will shunt the current ot the track battery 29 from the relay 2G, thus allowing the sivitch 2l to open at the saine time the switch 27 opens, and as soon as opening ot said switch 2l takes place, the coils 12 and 19 are (le-energized, with the result that the marker 7 immediatel).v starts to proceed across the miles per hour lines G, at the yn'edetermined uniform speed. rlhis proceeding' ot the marker takes place as long` as the trout Wheels ot the train are upon the hlock lc-B, and pro vision is made 'for immediately returning said marker to its initial position, as soon as the 'trout vcliecls ot the train leave said hloclt 5t-ll. In the present shmving, this means is controlled hy; a relay 25 tor the hloclt B-Q said relay heine controlled in the same manner as. the relay 26. 2T designates the signal-controllin9,- switch of this relay, and 2l has reference to an added switch Which is normally held open hy said relay. @ne end of this switch isshoivn connected hy a Wire 30 with the source 20 While its other end is co-operaole itfith and normally spaced from a contact 31, the lat-ter being connected hy a ivire 52 with the ivire 22. Just as .soon as. the front Wheels ot a train enter the block BHC from the hloelt AFB, the currentfrom the relay 26 is shunted through said front Wheels and the frontaxle,

with the result that the switch 24 closes at the same time the signal-controlling svvitch 2 opens. Upon closing ol switch 24', eurrent tloivs through the tvire 21 to the coils 12 and 19, returns trom these coils through the wire 22 and the wire to thc contact 31, and trom this Contact returns to the source 20, through the switch 24; and the vire 50. The circuits ot the tivo coils being thus completed, they immediately function to return the marker 7 and the Weight 16 to their initial positions.

Provision is made for moving the recording surface 4 so as to successively present its time ot day lines 5 to the marker 7. a table driven and controller hy a clock mechanism 311, being provided tor this pui: pose, the arrangement and timingl heilig oit course such that at 1 a. m., the 1 a. in. line 5 will be presented to the marker T, oy the time 2 a. 1n. arrives, the 2 a. m. line will he positioned at said marker, ete. r1`hus, any time the marker 7 starts outwardly, the inner end ot the line which itl makes, shows distinctly the time of day at Which the trent end ot a train enters the block -B. Throughout the entire time, the front end of the train is upon this block. the marker 7 is moving at its predetermined uniform rate ot speed, across the miles per hour lines 6, trom the highest speed line thereot toward the loivest speed line, and it will he recalled that as soon as the trout end ot the train leaves the block A-B, this marker is quickly returned to its initial position. the marker T, it Vwill thus be seen, moves outwardly only during the interval `.vhile the predetermined portion ot the train is traii'ersin` the block A-B, and it during this movement ot the train, the marker T has time only to move to the sixty mih` per hour line, it is recorded that the train `was making this speed when it traversed the. block ifi-B. It the train is goingslower, the marker T moves outwardly for a greater length ot time and itt the train was makinai say thirty miles per hour. the marker T has progressed outwardlyY until it reaches the thirty mile. per hour line heitere it is returned to its initial position. Thus. it will he seen that the average speed ot trains mav he easily and accurately recorded. as rwell as giving the exact time ot day which any train entered the block A-B and lett said hlocli. It will he understood that the. lines 6 are provided with speed per mile designations. hut such designations have 'neen omitted from the drawing.

In Fig. 3. a marker 7a controlled iny the same manner as the marker 7 is shown, eo-

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`the same as that above described.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that simple, inexpensive, efficient and accurate means have been provided for recording in miles per hour, the average speed of all trains moving over a predetermined block, and while excellent results may be obtained from the general association herein disclosed, it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, various modifications may be made. Moreover, the expression miles per hour lines7 is not to be considered as limiting, as these lines might in some instances represent other distances per unit of time.

l. A means for recording in miles per hour the average speed of a train over a block of trackage, said means comprising a record surface divided by both time of day lines and miles per hour lines, one set of lines crossing the other set, a marker for said record surface mounted for movement across said miles per hour lines, means for moving said record surface at a uniform speed in a direction to successively present its time of day lines to said marker, traincontrolled means for moving said marker from an initial position across said speed per mile lines toward the slowest speed line thereof at a predetermined uniform rate of speed as long as a predetermined portion of a train is upon the block, and means for then automatically returning said marker to said initial position.

2. A means for recording in miles per hour the average speed of a train over a block of traclage, saidmeans comprising a record surface divided by both time of day lilies7 and miles per hour lines, one set of lines crossing the other set, a. marker for said record surface mounted for movement across said miles per hour lines, means for moving said record surface at a uniform speed in a direction to successively present its time of day lines to said marker, elec tro-magnetic means for normally holding said marker at au initial position and returning it to such position after movement therefrom, normally idle means for moving said marker at a predetermined uniform speed across said miles per hour lines toward slowest speed line thereof when said electro-magnetic means is de-energized, a circuit for said electro-magnetic means including a normally closed switch, train-con trolled means for opening said switch when a predetermined portion of a train enters the block, thereby effecting starting of the marker across the miles per hour lines,7 and means for again closing a circuit through said electro-magnetic means when said predetermined portion of the train has left the block, thereby returning said marker to said initial position.

3. A means for recording in miles per hour the average speed of a train over a block of traclage, said means comprising a record surface divided by both time of day lines and miles per hour lilies, one set of lines crossing the other set, a marker for said record surface mounted for movement across said miles per hour lines, means for moving said record surface at a uniform speed in a direction to successively present its time of day lines to said marker, electromagnetic means for normally holding said marker at an initial position and returning it to such position after movement there from, normally idle means for moving said marker at a predetermined uniform speed across said miles per hour lines7 toward` the slowest speed line thereof when said electro-magnetic means is cle-energized, a circuit for said electro-magnetic means including a normally closed switch, train-controlled for opening said switch when a predetermined portion of a train `enters the block, thereby eifecting starting of the marker across the miles per hour lines, and means for again closing a circuit through said electro-magnetic means when said predeter* mined portion of the train has left the block thereby returning said marker to said initial position, said last named means including a normally open switch associated with the next block of the trackage, and train-controlled means for effecting closing of this switch.

4. A means for recording in miles per hour the average speed of a train over a block of trackage, said means comprising a record surface divided by both time of day lines and miles per hour lines, one set 0f lines crossing the other set, a marker for said record surface mounted for movement across said miles per hour lines7 means for moving said record surface at a uniform speed in a direction to successively present its time of day lines to said marker, electro-i'nagnetic means for nor- .mally holding said marker at an initial posi tion and returning it to such position after movement therefrom, normally idle means for moving said marker at a predetermined uniform speed across said miles per hour A lines toward the slowest speed line thereof when said electro-magnetic means is deenergized, a circuit for said electro-magnetic ymeans including a switch, electro-magnetic means for holding said switch normally closed, a normally closed track circuit for the last nzi'ined electromagnetic ineens whose Current supply is thrown out of play by the 'liront wheels and axle of a train entering the' block, thereby opening said switch rind rle-ener'glzing the first named eleetroiagnetic means, a. second switch for u circuit through the vfirst nanrecl elect-romagnetic means for holding said Second switch nernrallivv open, and a normally closed truck e'reuit lor the last nznnetl electro-nudgnetic means Whose current supply is thrown out of play by saicl front Wheels and axle upon passage thereof from the block, pernnttine closing of said second switch.

5. In n device hu'ving'a bleek olf traekuge with tr'ziel Cireuit :intl relay cont-rolled by siicl circuit; electr-"ioully-eontr0lled zivemge speed recording means for trains pitssing' over said block, anflsn'fiteli means' Controlled by sind relay for bringing said recording riieans immediately into play when the front wheels of ai train enter said block und for throwing' Suid recording' means immediately out ofy play4 when snitl Wheels leave the block.

ln testimony whereof I have. hereunto u'llied my signature.

THOMAS R. MILLS. 

